Portwood
Woodson
1824 – 1898
♦Verified
The real parents of George Portwood
Some people list George as a child of Martha while others state that he was a son of Woodson’s third wife (Ann Watkins McMenomy) and her prior husband.
He definitely cannot be a child of Martha as she died before his birth.
His death record lists Woodson as his father and does not show a mother. Additionally, he used the name Portwood and Ann’s children used the McMenomy name.
Woodson Portwood, son of Simpson and Anna (Lamb) Portwood, was born in 1824 in Kentucky.Woodson moved with his parents as they made their way westward.
Marriage #1
He married Martha McCammon in 1843. They became the parents of six children:
- Charles (Simpson) married Mary Secrest.
- Hugh married Emma Conner. After she died, he married Margaret Conner. They lived in Bourbon County, Kansas.
- Matilda Elizabeth died young.
- Lydia Ellen married Thomas J. Endecott.
- Ann died as a child.
- Mary Isabella♥
Martha died in Illinois within months of Mary Isabella’s birth.
Marriage #2
In January 1854, Woodson remarried to Delania Hoag/Hogue. They had one son and possibly two.
- George W. F. lived most of his life in Illinois although he was with Woodson in Kansas for a short time. First he married Lucinda E. Hays. She died early in their marriage. Second he married Anna Isabelle Shutter, who outlived him. See sidebar for notes on how it was determined specifically who were the parents of George.
- John Russell died as an infant. I have not yet found proof of this child, but he is listed in someone’s family tree.
About 1858, Woodson moved his family to Bourbon County, Kansas. Delania died about this time.
Mariage #3
In February 1859, Woodson remarried to Ann McMenomy in Bourbon County, Kansas. Ann brought the following children into their marriage:
- Ziller Ann J McMenomy died as a teen. Recorded in some records as Portwood.
- David H married Jane Rachel Hamman. He died in his thirties.
Woodson and Ann had no children together.
Land Controversy
After Woodson died, there was a lawsuit over ownership of some of Woodson’s land. It seems that the McMenony family claimed that it should belong to Woodson’s widow while Hugh Portwood, Woodson’s son, claimed that the agreement was that the land was to come to him. The lawsuit lists many, many people, but it appears that the suing party is Woodson’s step-son’s daughter, who was still a teenager. Additional research is needed to determine what happened to this specific piece of land.